State will not charge Carroll officer accused of trying to plant drugs

April 19, 2000|By Mike Farabaugh | Mike Farabaugh,SUN STAFF

Investigators from the state attorney general's office will not prosecute suspended Westminster police Officer Richard A. Ruby, who was accused by two fellow officers of trying to plant drugs on suspects last summer, authorities said.

The attorney general's investigation of Ruby is complete, the law enforcement authorities said yesterday. Ruby, 36, faces the result of an independent administrative inquiry by Maryland State Police at the request of Westminster Police Chief Roger Joneckis.

He also faces a review by Carroll State's Attorney Jerry F. Barnes, who has said he would conduct a review once the Maryland attorney general's office finished its inquiry to determine whether to seek a grand jury indictment against Ruby. Barnes would not comment yesterday.

Ruby has denied wrongdoing. Three days after Ruby was suspended with pay, Barnes announced that more than 100 cases in which Ruby was a state's material witness might be dropped.